Mingdu.
Within the imperial palace, if you looked down from the sky, you would see a succession of courtyards stretching endlessly, all within the grandeur of this magnificent palace.
Inside one of the halls, several figures stood in silence.
If any outsider were present and recognized these faces, they would undoubtedly be shocked... After all, to gather such top powers of the empire in one place, it likely meant that a continental war was about to erupt.
"Everyone, let's hear your opinions." The leader, dressed in a dragon robe, had hair streaked with white and a complexion that hinted at waning vitality, yet his tone was commanding and brooked no argument.
"Your Majesty, this official requests the execution of Jing Hongchen!" Xu Jiangliu, sensing the emperor's gaze fleetingly land on him, sighed inwardly. The emperor didn't want to utter such offending words himself, so it was left to him.
"Oh?" The old Sun Moon Emperor raised an eyebrow, his expression "surprised" as he looked at Xu Jiangliu.
"Jing Hongchen is a pillar of our Sun Moon Empire, a minister of utmost importance. For years, he has loyally and diligently served Mingde Hall. What crime has he committed?"
The hall fell silent.
Xu Jiangliu lowered his head, lips twitching. It seemed he would have to come up with the reason himself...
"The land under the heavens belongs to the king. In the future, the entire continent will surely fall under our empire's banner. But the court's situation is unstable, and some are dissatisfied with Hall Master Hongchen's predicament, hoping for his release..."
"Your Majesty, before dealing with external threats, we must first pacify our own ranks. After this incident, Hall Master Hongchen will surely harbor resentment against the empire. Since we were forced to abandon him for the greater good, what if, in the near future, he escapes with Mingde Hall's years of scientific secrets and joins the enemy? Would the soldiers' blood and the researchers' efforts all be in vain?"
The Sun Moon Emperor remained silent.
After a long while, he shook his head. "No."
"Hall Master Hongchen has contributed too much to the nation and was personally supported by Elder Kong. If this is the only reason, it would chill the hearts of loyal ministers. Do not bring this up again."
Xu Jiangliu was stunned. What did this mean?
Was His Majesty really going to mercifully let Hall Master Hongchen go?
No one knew better than he that the coldest, most ruthless person in the whole empire was this emperor seated high above. The rumors among the people of the emperor being indecisive were merely a facade...
After all, a man who could kill his own brother could hardly be considered kind.
"Your Majesty is benevolent," Ye Yulin said with a beaming smile.
The others, however, remained silent, their faces filled with suspicion.
Sure enough, the Sun Moon Emperor spoke again, his tone leisurely: "Jiangliu, the prison of Mingdu is currently guarded by the Seventh Sun Moon Soul Engineer Legion, yes? Since even the Body Sect managed to find the location of the empire's secret laboratories recently, this prison may not be safe. If someone harbors murderous intent toward Hall Master Jing, half a legion may not be able to resist. If, by chance, some other dangerous criminals escape, that would be truly perilous..."
"In that case, you will take over the prison's security."
Xu Jiangliu froze, slowly raised his head, and looked at the emperor's gentle smile, only to feel a chill run down his spine.
This was using a borrowed knife to kill.
But when the emperor wants to borrow your knife, can you refuse?
Moreover, the emperor had already spelled out Jing Hongchen's cause of death... Jing Hongchen would die in a prison break staged by the Body Sect.
"You will guard for three months. Observe Hall Master Hongchen for three months. If nothing happens in those three months, then release him..."
So, a deadline had been set.
The final ultimatum: within three months, Jing Hongchen must be killed, with the blame pinned on the Body Sect.
Xu Jiangliu took a deep breath, bowed slightly to hide his expression: "Yes, Your Majesty."
…
"Clang!"
The cell door was flung open with a harsh metallic screech, and a bowl of food was tossed onto the table inside. The prison guard glanced indifferently at Jing Hongchen. "Your meal for today."
Then he turned and left.
Inside the cell.
Jing Hongchen slowly opened his eyes, looked at the food on the table, pursed his lips, lost in thought. After a long silence, still wearing the soul tool restraints, he shuffled to the table, picked up the food, and began to eat slowly and carefully.
There was no meat, only a few wilted green leaves, and even... traces of someone else having eaten from the bowl. Clearly, this was the handiwork of Dream, though it had likely once been piled high with meat, but after repeated "inspections," this was all that remained.
Yet Jing Hongchen showed no disgust; instead, he savored it as if it were a delicacy, chewing slowly, his expression calm and unruffled.
In his youth, he too had come from poverty. By chance, he'd entered the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Academy, gradually displaying his talent, and was eventually accepted as Elder Kong's last disciple. Only then did he climb to his current position.
He had once been truly loyal to this country.
But now...
He felt as if another knife had been plunged into his heart.
Having survived with caution for so long, especially before he met his patron Elder Kong, he had repeatedly hit walls due to his lack of connections, relying only on his own determination to push forward. So now, faced with such a desperate situation, he was still searching for any chance to turn things around.
"Eat up. Tomorrow there'll be a change of guard. The regiment commander of the Royal Soul Engineer Legion will personally oversee this place. Jing Hongchen, your good days are over." The door was pushed open again, and the guard from earlier looked Jing Hongchen up and down, a vengeful smile twisting his face.
Clearly, he couldn't stand seeing Jing Hongchen, fallen from grace and now a prisoner, still displaying such calm composure.
To trample a once-great man underfoot, to grind him down, was the only way to satisfy his twisted heart...
Jing Hongchen suddenly paused.
The guard, satisfied with the reaction, laughed heartily as he left the cell.
"Xu Jiangliu."
Jing Hongchen slowly set down his bowl and chopsticks, exhaled deeply, and looked out beyond the cell.
"Such a vast empire, and yet it cannot tolerate one Jing Hongchen?"
Of course, he understood what the sudden change of guard meant.
Killing under the guise of protection—such dirty tricks were all too familiar to him...
"Sun Moon Empire, truly chilling to the heart."
A lazy voice sounded nearby.
"Su... Wen!!!" Jing Hongchen's pupils contracted sharply as he stiffly turned his head to see, to his shock, a handsome young man who had appeared without notice. Shocked, bewildered, at a loss.
"You're not dead!"
"Impossible! Ye Xishui personally struck—could Xu Jiangliu have lied to me?"
"Are you human or ghost?!"
By the end, Jing Hongchen's voice was tinged with disbelief.
"Heh, my life is not something Ye Xishui can take..." Su Wen shook his head, smiling as he looked at Jing Hongchen. "I came back to the Sun Moon Empire this time for revenge. Hall Master Hongchen, have you ever considered joining Shrek Academy?"
Su Wen laid his cards on the table—there was no need for roundabout talk at a time like this.